Fox News Pundits Laud Donald Trump's Candidacy For President

Several Fox News figures trumpeted news that real estate mogul Donald Trump officially declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination in 2016, lauding him as “a winner” and even comparing him to former President Ronald Reagan.

Donald Trump Announces Bid For 2016 Republican Nomination

Donald Trump Announces Candidacy For President. On June 16, Donald Trump announced his candidacy to run for president in 2016, as CNN reported:

The real estate mogul and TV reality star launched his presidential campaign Tuesday, ending more than two decades of persistent flirtation with the idea of running for the Oval Office. 

'So, ladies and gentlemen, I am officially running for president of the United States, and we are going to make our country great again,' Trump told the crowd in a lengthy and meandering 45-minute speech that hit on his signature issues like currency manipulation from China and job creation, while also taking shots at the president and his competitors on the Republican side. [CNN.com, 6/16/15] 

Fox Figures Champion Trump As “A Winner,” “A Doer”

Fox's Guilfoyle: Trump's Speech “Got Me Excited” And “I Felt Richer Just Listening To Him.” On the June 16 edition of Fox News' The Five, co-host Eric Bolling said Trump's speech was “pretty darn good” and had “some fresh ideas.” Co-host Kim Guilfoyle agreed, saying:

Yeah, I said it was like The LEGO Movie, the theme song “Everything Is Awesome.” It really got me excited. I felt richer just listening to him, that there's going to be economic prosperity. I like his business approach. He clearly loves America. I mean, I thought this was a great speech. That's what I love about this country. You can have people like this, success story, and now he's putting, you know, his hat in. Let's see. I don't know. I think it will be fun. [Fox News, The Five6/16/15]

Outnumbered Co-Hosts: Trump “Is A Winner.” He “Knows What He's Doing.” The co-hosts of Fox News' Outnumbered posited that with the right team, Trump could be a strong contender for the GOP nomination, calling him “a winner” and “a doer” who “gets things done”:

ANDREA TANTAROS: I found myself, when Trump was saying a lot of things, I found myself going, 'yeah.' 

[...]

TANTAROS: The question is, though, Harris, can he actually translate that into a real campaign and meaningful votes? 

HARRIS FAULKNER: You know what? I think Donald Trump can do whatever he wants. I guess the question is, what does Donald Trump want? Because he is a winner. [Fox News, Outnumbered6/16/15]

Neil Cavuto: Dismiss Donald Trump “At Your Own Peril.” Fox News and Fox Business host Neil Cavuto praised Trump as a “savvy businessman, a pretty good trader, pretty good market-read, and a man that calls it as it is”:

CAVUTO: To those of you who are going to dismiss the real estate developer who says he's worth north of $9 billion, do so at your own peril. This is a man who has fooled bankers and creditors, and risen from the ashes time and time again. A savvy businessman, a pretty good trader, pretty good market-read, and a man who calls it as it is. You may not like the way he's calling it, or how he calls it, or his ego, but be that as it may, he is in and this race is completely changed. 

[...]

Now again, the temptation is to dismiss him out of the gate. But the fact is that more than half the people in this country don't vote. That's a simple fact. They're frustrated, they're angry, they don't trust either party. And a lot of people are betting that Donald Trump, whether he's the catalyst for it, is tapping that nerve, that anger, that resentment. A billionaire who feels the wrath of average folks, that the system is broken, that China has the better of us, Mexico has the better of us, Middle East nations have better of us, and we're being played for patsies and fools. And that both parties have done it. Whether that could be a presage to an independent run on the part of Donald Trump should he fail to get the Republican nomination is anyone's guess. But the fact is, he is a force to be reckoned with. [Fox Business, Cavuto: Coast To Coast6/16/15]

Eric Bolling: Trump Has “Some Great Ideas, Lot's [sic] Of Common Sense.” Fox host Eric Bolling tweeted:

[Twitter.com, 6/16/15]

Geraldo Rivera: “Don't Ignore” Donald Trump's Candidacy, Because He's “More Competent ... And Experienced” Than Most Other Contenders. Fox News correspondent Geraldo Rivera tweeted:

 [Twitter.com. 6/16/156/16/15]

Sean Hannity Compares Trump To Ronald Reagan. On his radio program, Fox host Sean Hannity praised Trump's negotiation skills and compared him to Reagan:

HANNITY: Wouldn't you like to actually win a negotiation? Wouldn't you like somebody that wouldn't sit down at the table with the Iranians? Once they say the destruction of Israel is not off the table, you walk away. When they say, chant 'death to America,' you walk away. When they fight another proxy war against Saudi Arabia, you walk away.

[...] 

One of the greatest moments of Ronald Reagan's presidency, he was at Reykjavik. And Gorbachev was pushing him to give up Strategic Defense, what liberals called, derisively, 'Star Wars.' And he said, 'nyet' [no], and he walked away from the table. And eventually it led to peace. That's like Trump's art of the deal. You should be willing in any business dealings you do - and I do a lot of business dealings in my private life, like all of you do - and if at any point it becomes a bad deal, I am willing to walk away. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show6/16/15]